Ireland's Call

"Ireland's Call" is a song commissioned by the Irish Rugby Football Union for use at international rugby union fixtures featuring the Irish rugby union team. It has since also been adopted by the Irish Hockey, Cricket and Rugby league teams.

Overview

In each case the team represents the whole island of Ireland (both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland) while "Amhrán na bhFiann" (Irish for "The Soldier's Song") - is the national anthem of the Republic of Ireland. In addition, the anthem's militant Nationalist theme is seen as unacceptable by some in Northern Ireland. At matches played in the Republic, both Amhrán na bhFiann (as the anthem of the Irish nation) and Ireland's Call (as the anthem of the home (Irish) team) are sung. Elsewhere, Ireland's Call is the only anthem used.

The lyrics of "Ireland's Call" displayed on the big screen at Croke Park, Dublin, February 11, 2007.

At most games today, only the first verse is sung, followed by the chorus in the same key. The chorus is then repeated in a higher key; at the end, the last line is repeated.

The song was written by Phil Coulter in 1995. He composed it because he loved hearing a combination of the Irish accents singing together.[1] It was first broadcast simultaneously in Northern Ireland on the 'Kelly' show and in the Republic of Ireland on Gay Byrne's Late Late Show, sung by Andrew Strong, singer in the film The Commitments, accompanied by Portadown Male Voice Choir.

Since its creation, there has been an ongoing debate in Irish society over the song - both in terms of its political suitability, and in terms of the quality of the composition. This tends to come to a head during each Rugby World Cup - the only time the Irish team plays a succession of matches away from home, and hence, when Ireland's Call is most prominently used.

However, in the wake of England's game against Ireland at Croke Park in the 2007 Six Nations championship, commentators in the Irish media talked about how powerful the rendition of the anthem was: "Amhrán na bhFiann and Ireland's Call were belted out with such hair-raising intensity that men and women were crying as they sang." (The Irish Times, 26 Feb 2007 - [[2]])

Lyrics¹

1

Come the day and come the hour

Come the power and the glory

We have come to answer

Our Country's call

From the four proud provinces of Ireland

Chorus

Ireland, Ireland,

Together standing tall

Shoulder to shoulder

We'll answer Ireland's call

2

From the mighty Glens of Antrim

From the rugged hills of Galway

From the walls of Limerick

And Dublin Bay

From the four proud provinces of Ireland

(Chorus)

3

Hearts of steel

And heads unbowing

Vowing never to be broken

We will fight, until

We can fight no more

For the four proud provinces of Ireland

(Chorus)

1. Parts of the song not usually sung are in italics.

Other Rugby Match Songs

• Flower of Scotland
• La Marseillaise
• The Fields of Athenry
• Swing Low Sweet Chariot
• Molly Malone
• Bread of Heaven

External links

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